PHILIPPINES. Manila. 1995. In November 1996, on the occasion of hosting a meeting of the APEC countries in Subic City, situated over 100 kilometers west of Manila, former President Ramos ordered the forced closing of the huge Smokey Mountain rubbish dump, calling it a "national disgrace". Despite strong opposition from local residents, Smokey Mountain was closed. Although the original Smokey Mountain, a symbol of Asian poverty, thus vanished, other Smokey Mountains exist.